People like this should be locked up

MELBOURNE, Florida — A 53-year-old welder on Merritt Island couldn't wait for animal control to handle a six-foot rattlesnake.

Instead, Robert Tyler took care of it himself.

Tyler spotted the diamondback rattler Wednesday while driving, then stalked it.

He said he came up behind the snake, pinned its head and cut it off with a knife.

The man, who says he has also wrestled the occasional alligator, did it to protect his neighbors. The snake was headed for a home where a woman lived with several small kittens.

Tyler knew it would've been gone by the time animal services got there.

"I couldn't take that chance," Tyler says.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,7478077.story

Was the snake holding up a sign telling him it was going to kill one of his neighbors???

it sucks really it does and people like him should be locked up damn the animal welfare act not seeing reptiles as equals to mammals ugh I absolutely hate this crap had it been a dog he would have landed in jail and a huge fine. ABSURD IT IS!

well, i see no problem being it was a venomous snake potentially heading towards another home. my dad used to kill rattlesnakes (maybe 3-4) every year, if they came too close to the house. he just wouldnt chance one of us kids getting bitten. now king snakes & red racers he'd throw back into the brush. he didnt just willy nilly kill every snake he saw.

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Originally Posted by mommanessy247

well, i see no problem being it was a venomous snake potentially heading towards another home. my dad used to kill rattlesnakes (maybe 3-4) every year, if they came too close to the house. he just wouldnt chance one of us kids getting bitten. now king snakes & red racers he'd throw back into the brush. he didnt just willy nilly kill every snake he saw.

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why not just tell the kids to stay away from them, cuz he wouldnt be able to find and kill everyone that they might come across, but by educating the kids your more likely to keep them safe

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Originally Posted by mommanessy247

well, i see no problem being it was a venomous snake potentially heading towards another home.

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This sort of mentality (along with the irrational phobia of snakes by the majority of the population), is why we're seeing a decreased number of venomous snakes in the wild in the US. It saddens me that people think nothing of killing these beautiful animals when it requires less effort to call someone who could relocate them. If he's worried about it getting away before someone gets there, it's really not hard to put a bucket or something over the snake, then put a rock or something on top to make sure it stays put.

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Originally Posted by Russ Lawson

This sort of mentality (along with the irrational phobia of snakes by the majority of the population), is why we're seeing a decreased number of venomous snakes in the wild in the US. It saddens me that people think nothing of killing these beautiful animals when it requires less effort to call someone who could relocate them. If he's worried about it getting away before someone gets there, it's really not hard to put a bucket or something over the snake, then put a rock or something on top to make sure it stays put.

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Yeah exactly. If he pinned it down and cut its head off, I am sure he could of just pinned it down and trapped it just as easily. With a bucket, or just held it down for the time being however he was holding it.

Its so screwed up that people are allowed to slaughter these animals.

Sorry I love snakes, but danger is danger. I would rather him kill the snake than get bitten trying to trap it. Human life comes first. And I know the snake wasn't attacking the people, but some kid could have stepped outside onto it and been bit.

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Originally Posted by NCtrickFL

Sorry I love snakes, but danger is danger. I would rather him kill the snake than get bitten trying to trap it. Human life comes first. And I know the snake wasn't attacking the people, but some kid could have stepped outside onto it and been bit.

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your 21 and live around several hots have you stepped outside on one and been bit? how many people that you know personally have been bit? and im willing to bet that people in your area have not killed them all off.

dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, etc all can bite and can all carry some diseases that can kill you but yet people dont go out and kill everyone that is around cuz some kid might get bit.

I would kill a rattler near my home as well. Yes, I think that the death of animals is a shame, but as mentioned before, the life of my family comes first.
I agree that education is important too, but I don't teach an 8 year old about gun safety and then leave the gun around. And I would NOT want that snake breeding in the area either.
If I felt somehow that I could catch the snake, contain it properly and have it transported to distant farmland somewhere, I might try that. If I was worried about my own safety as I have never handled a rattler, and probably never will, I would not wait to call some kind of animal services to come to my house and tell me that they could not find it.
I don't think it'll happen to me, but that's how I feel.

Edit: I would kill a racoon or dog with rabies too if I knew they had it. No problem. Not all mammals or birds have those types of diseases. All rattle snakes have venom. Like I said, it is a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless.

Snakes are in an area for 1 reason, there is a food source. You want to naturally take care of that dangerous snake? Release a non-dangerous snake that will EAT that snake ie a Kingsnake.

NEVER EVER I dont care if its venomous or not kill a living animal cause its too close to your house. Ever hear of laws, all it takes is one person to call animal control that you killed a NATIVE species and now you have legal problems that could be avoided.


Capture the animal RELOCATE it to a safer place, never do they need to be killed, who are we to say what lives and what doesn't because it MIGHT cause a problem but 99% of the time their just PASSING though

I live out in the desert and we have a preserves on both sides of us...even though it is a community. We see rattle snakes on a yearly basis. Personally scares the bejezus out of me. We do teach desert safety and we teach kids not to do certain things. One being...if the ball goes under a bush....get a rake to get it....do NOT reach in and get it. Be aware when you are out in the desert ..listen and look. We also take precautions to make sure that our backyard is blocked off. We net off the holes in the walls that allow water to flow out....make sure our gates are tight to the ground etc. If and when I see rattle snakes...we have a number to call so they are relocated. However lots of others kill them. We also have many kingsnakes here...those are treated like little gods around here.

To me if it can be relocated...then do it. After all...we moved into their turf.

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Originally Posted by 771subliminal

your 21 and live around several hots have you stepped outside on one and been bit? how many people that you know personally have been bit? and im willing to bet that people in your area have not killed them all off.

dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, etc all can bite and can all carry some diseases that can kill you but yet people dont go out and kill everyone that is around cuz some kid might get bit.

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When I was a kid I lived in Winston-Salem NC and I had some very close run-ins with snakes, venomous and non.

My dog was struck at, and luckily missed, by a copperhead in my neighborhood. My dad swiftly sent him into after life.

Then while on my bike as cottonmouth struck at me as I pedaled over a bridge near a lake.

So no, I have never been bit but I have had run-ins with poisonous snakes. And I have left the majority of them alive. The only one killed was the one in my neighborhood. The ones in the mountains and nature trails I've always left alone.

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Originally Posted by NCtrickFL

When I was a kid I lived in Winston-Salem NC and I had some very close run-ins with snakes, venomous and non.

My dog was struck at, and luckily missed, by a copperhead in my neighborhood. My dad swiftly sent him into after life.

Then while on my bike as cottonmouth struck at me as I pedaled over a bridge near a lake.

So no, I have never been bit but I have had run-ins with poisonous snakes. And I have left the majority of them alive. The only one killed was the one in my neighborhood. The ones in the mountains and nature trails I've always left alone.

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Never heard of a poisonous snake before must be new.:confused:

Poisonous and Venomous are 2 diff types. Be sure you talk about the right one

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

NEVER EVER I dont care if its venomous or not kill a living animal cause its too close to your house. Ever hear of laws, all it takes is one person to call animal control that you killed a NATIVE species and now you have legal problems that could be avoided.


Capture the animal RELOCATE it to a safer place, never do they need to be killed, who are we to say what lives and what doesn't because it MIGHT cause a problem but 99% of the time their just PASSING though

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In Oklahoma, if there is a wild animal harassing your animals, i.e coyote, bobcat, etc, you can shoot it. Just have to call the game warden. Additionally, animal control doesn't exist in the country.

I've killed venomous snakes before. Generally to protect pets. While I know to run the other way, dogs tend to be stupid and go "Thing in my yard! yapyapyapyapyap!". There's no one to call to remove the snakes and I'm certainly not brave enough to go and relocate it, either. If the snake is out in the pasture/woods/large ponds, I leave it alone. The house/small pond is a no go area for venomous snakes.

I replied to the article with the very obvious suggestion.

Venomous snake? Drop a bucket on top of it, and call someone to come and remove it. Safer than trying to kill it, or moving it yourself.

(I would just grab my snake hook and remove the thing, personally. Being bitten requires being within strike range, so as long as you don't get that close, you're fine).

If I lived in an area where venomous snakes were common, I'd buy tongs specifically for that purpose.

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Originally Posted by NCtrickFL

Sorry I love snakes, but danger is danger. I would rather him kill the snake than get bitten trying to trap it. Human life comes first. And I know the snake wasn't attacking the people, but some kid could have stepped outside onto it and been bit.

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Did you even read the story? He pinned the snake down and CUT ITS HEAD OFF. If he was able to pin it down and cut its head off, he could have JUST AS EASILY trapped it.

He had it pinned down.... Its not like he did a matrix jump through the air and sliced it blindfolded with a knife.

He could have easily trapped it but he chose to be a jerk about it and try to be a tough guy and cut the snakes head off.

So those of you who agree with the OP.. What exactly do you want to be illegal? Killing of any and all reptiles?

I personally find the killing of non-endangered venomous snakes solely out of fear to be distasteful, but I'd never vote for a law to lock up people who do so.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

So those of you who agree with the OP.. What exactly do you want to be illegal? Killing of any and all reptiles?

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I never asked for a law to be passed. I just ask for people to use their brains instead of chopping off an animals head.... Is that too much to ask for? Compassion?

If a stray dog was walking past a house with some cats that live there, would you run up to it and cut its freggin head off?

RichsBallPythons don't be a nitpicker I wasn't very precise, but seriously man, everyone knew exactly what i meant.

And this isn't what the topic is about anyway. I agree, he could have done a more sustainable thing for the environment by not killing the snake...but he does not deserved to be chastised and blasted on here. This is freaking pathetic. Anyone on here that came out against this guy is a freaking hypocrite, unless you can honestly say you have never killed a mosquito or ant purposefully. So really just back off and move on to a more constructive process. Like trying to raise awareness OUTSIDE of the reptile community. You're basically preaching to the choir in here

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Originally Posted by NCtrickFL

RichsBallPythons don't be a nitpicker I wasn't very precise, but seriously man, everyone knew exactly what i meant.

And this isn't what the topic is about anyway. I agree, he could have done a more sustainable thing for the environment by not killing the snake...but he does not deserved to be chastised and blasted on here. This is freaking pathetic. Anyone on here that came out against this guy is a freaking hypocrite, unless you can honestly say you have never killed a mosquito or ant purposefully. So really just back off and move on to a more constructive process. Like trying to raise awareness OUTSIDE of the reptile community. You're basically preaching to the choir in here

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Dont like it you know where the door is. :colbert:

Comparing a insect to a snake is kinda childish. Misquotes carry more diseases that a snake could ever dream of. Of course people will want them killed as they have no beneficiary factor to the wilderness cept transferring disease.

And yes we will ridicule this guy for how he handled it. Like stated if he could pin the head he could easily of relocated it rather cut its head off.

What is common in nature today is gone tommorrow.. Then some will scratch their heads and wonder why thy neighborhood is over run with rodents or bugs..Never know where the next cure is coming from, might just be from the venom of a scarce rattle snake..Patience Grass hopper..:rolleye2:
# 1 destuctive organism is man then the house cat falls 2nd..:O

Yes, but we don't look at an ant on a tree in our backyard and go "OmG! That thing could come into my house and eat my food! I should kill it!" The man had the option of trapping the snake under a bucket or got a hold of it and put it somewhere until animal control got there. The thing is, he said he killed it because he wanted to be "macho man" and be able to tell his buddies that he saved some kids lives by chopping the head off a snake. If I ever move to an area that has venomous snakes, I will be prepared and always keep gloves, snake hooks, snake bags, and buckets around for such situations. If you are going to live around animals like this, then you need to be the responsible one and be able to handle yourself in such a situation. These animals were here first. WE are the ones intruding upon THEIR territory. These are living beings and they have every right (if not more of a right) to be here than we do. Respect them and if the situation calls for it, have the animal removed and relocated. There are very few situations that I would say require the animal to be destroyed.

Honestly how is there even a few people defending this idiot? He was clearly trying to act all big and bad by cutting the snakes heads off.... He pinned the head so he could have easily trapped it our held it down. He had no reason to cut the snake in half....

And yeah, comparing a snake to an insect the size of a grain of rice is pretty idiotic.

I think both sides have expressed their thoughts and condemning one another for opinions and beliefs is not going to do a lot, ie, calling someone an idiot for making an example that they felt suiting.
Persuade someone, don't get mad. Thus far I have felt that there has been very little to influence my thinking and more to disliking the "discussion" process.

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Originally Posted by mr. s

I think both sides have expressed their thoughts and condemning one another for opinions and beliefs is not going to do a lot, ie, calling someone an idiot for making an example that they felt suiting.
Persuade someone, don't get mad. Thus far I have felt that there has been very little to influence my thinking and more to disliking the "discussion" process.

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If you are referring to my post, I called the guy who chopped off the snakes head an idiot. I never called anyone here an idiot.

And I also said comparing a snake to an insect thats the size of a grain of rice is idiotic.... Am I wrong? :rolleyes:

quite frankly he could have simply gotten a stick and moved it away.....pinning it and killing it made him more of a man in his neighbors eyes as well as his own....if someone one sat on a pitbull and cut it's head off cause OMG it was heading for my neighbors house and gonna kill them or their kittens PETA would be all over it but because in most americans eyes thanks to the media it was just a stupid snake.....Had that happened here in az chances are he would have been hit with a ticket and or prison time thanks to having many endangered species of rattler thanks to macho men like him

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Originally Posted by JEWSKIN

quite frankly he could have simply gotten a stick and moved it away.....pinning it and killing it made him more of a man in his neighbors eyes as well as his own....if someone one sat on a pitbull and cut it's head off cause OMG it was heading for my neighbors house and gonna kill them or their kittens PETA would be all over it but because in most americans eyes thanks to the media it was just a stupid snake.....Had that happened here in az chances are he would have been hit with a ticket and or prison time thanks to having many endangered species of rattler thanks to macho men like him

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Exactly. Some stupid wannabe hard macho guy goes and "saves the day" by cutting a poor snake in half. Like that was the only option.. Cmon now..

Ignorant people nowadays

I don't know how many people like this I see a day that ask me if I have any snakes they can buy just cause they want to make boots, belts and wallets......I have actually ruined snake skin items people have flaunted in my face like they were all macho

I'm on the side this guy had absolutely no right to kill this snake.
And comparing it to an ant or a mosquito is actually kind of childish... Now I could see if this snake was attached to my arm biting me then yeah kill it but randomly no. If I'm in my backyard and I see an ant hill o don't run over and destroy it... Same as I would never deliberatly go out of my way to kill a mosquito.
Man I wish I was so brave to chop off a venomous snakes head... Pfft yeah right. Comon who is this joker?
But seriously I live in Canada and here we have bears. If anyone ever saw a bear heading across the street near a neighbours house, pinned it down and chopped off it's head that person would be in jail.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous that people will move to an area that has venomous snakes and think it's ok to kill every one that "goes near my house". If you don't like it, MOVE.
Unfortunely the snakes wholive there don't have this option. I'm sure if you did as was suggested and put a bucket over it and called someone it would be VERY easy to find someone with 1/4 of a heart to relocate this animal for you.
Well I'm off to backyard. I think I just saw an angry raccoon looking at my neighbours house (they have a chihuaha). Don't worry though guys I'm tough. I'll just pin it down and hack it's head off.

Grrrr, Jeremy.

P.s. I'm also the guy who will catch the spider in my house and let it go outside rather then squish it in some toilet paper.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy78

I'm on the side this guy had absolutely no right to kill this snake.
And comparing it to an ant or a mosquito is actually kind of childish... Now I could see if this snake was attached to my arm biting me then yeah kill it but randomly no. If I'm in my backyard and I see an ant hill o don't run over and destroy it... Same as I would never deliberatly go out of my way to kill a mosquito.
Man I wish I was so brave to chop off a venomous snakes head... Pfft yeah right. Comon who is this joker?
But seriously I live in Canada and here we have bears. If anyone ever saw a bear heading across the street near a neighbours house, pinned it down and chopped off it's head that person would be in jail.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous that people will move to an area that has venomous snakes and think it's ok to kill every one that "goes near my house". If you don't like it, MOVE.
Unfortunely the snakes wholive there don't have this option. I'm sure if you did as was suggested and put a bucket over it and called someone it would be VERY easy to find someone with 1/4 of a heart to relocate this animal for you.
Well I'm off to backyard. I think I just saw an angry raccoon looking at my neighbours house (they have a chihuaha). Don't worry though guys I'm tough. I'll just pin it down and hack it's head off.

Grrrr, Jeremy.

P.s. I'm also the guy who will catch the spider in my house and let it go outside rather then squish it in some toilet paper.

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lmao I have odds on the racoon ripping ones face off lmao haha good show

would not of killed it. would have hooked it into a tub and either had animal control come and take it or would have driven and relocated it myself

I love how almost everyone is assuming that every person in the world has experience handling hots and is comfortable doing so.

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Originally Posted by Raptor

I love how almost everyone is assuming that every person in the world has experience handling hots and is comfortable doing so.

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You don't need experience handling hots to throw a bucket over a snake. Thing is though, in order to kill the animal, he pinned the head. That can be pretty dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. He risked hospitalization to kill an animal that was minding its own business, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had he placed a bucket over the animal and called someone to remove it, there would have been essentially no risk to himself. I don't care who you are, you don't need any experience with any sort of snake to place a bucket over it. I've had neighbors do far more than that before having me remove snakes. One placed a "cottonmouth" (which was actually a green water snake) in a cooler before I got there to remove it.

That's..a pretty big bucket to be putting over a fully grown, 4-5 foot cotton mouth (ones that are pretty aggressive too). Don't know about where you live, but the ones here are pretty hefty in body girth. A 5 gallon bucket wouldn't be big enough, even if it was curled up. Either way, not everyone is fortunate enough to live near animal control or have someone who knows how to handle hots safely.

Me comparing insects to snakes is identical to people on here comparing snakes to dogs and cats. You draw the line between where normal actions against animals meets animal cruelty. Don't call me (o sorry my ideas) idiotic because you don't agree with them.

The line is completely arbitrary. Those people that love insects would call you an idiot for swatting a mosquito. They draw the line differently. Open up your eyes, your view is not everyone's view.

My thought is that if we are going to kill the snakes........Then people outta just put a bubble around themselves and then they won't have to worry about rabies, an airborne disease and you know what better stop driving your car and motorcycles cause they kill more people a year than snakes and oh; Then we have cigerettes and dip that cause cancer......so there you go? Are snakes really that dangerous??

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Originally Posted by NCtrickFL

The line is completely arbitrary. Those people that love insects would call you an idiot for swatting a mosquito. They draw the line differently. Open up your eyes, your view is not everyone's view.

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I'm not going to voice my opinion on this matter as I tend to have a hard time taking any media source as a 'biblical truth' (oxymoron in itself) as to what happened and under what circumstances.

But the statement I quoted, I cant agree with this more :gj:


What means a lot to you means nothing to the next person, and vice versa.

Thats true they could have twisted his words.

just bc u dont have experience with hots doesnt mean it needs to be killed. Its not that hard to trap a hot when done properly. remember people the snakes were here before us. Cut them some slack already. We took over there land and blame them for everything. Im not a fan of killing and reptile for any reason. There are ways around dealing with situations like what went on.

Alot of people are bit trying to kill snakes, jus sayin. And would calling animal control be that big of a deal? its their job to find it. Im not against killing it out of safety but there are other ways in this case. he could have called animal control and went and alerted the neighbors and let them know animal control was on the way.

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Originally Posted by snakegrl

My thought is that if we are going to kill the snakes........Then people outta just put a bubble around themselves and then they won't have to worry about rabies, an airborne disease and you know what better stop driving your car and motorcycles cause they kill more people a year than snakes and oh; Then we have cigerettes and dip that cause cancer......so there you go? Are snakes really that dangerous??

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..Rabies isn't airborne. It's transmitted via saliva (there needs to be an injury for the saliva to get into, however).

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Originally Posted by djansen

Alot of people are bit trying to kill snakes, jus sayin. And would calling animal control be that big of a deal? its their job to find it. Im not against killing it out of safety but there are other ways in this case. he could have called animal control and went and alerted the neighbors and let them know animal control was on the way.

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And if there's no animal control/local person to remove the snake?

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Comparing a insect to a snake is kinda childish. .

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So is comparing a snake to a mammal.:colbert:

Oh, I know I am just saying unless you live in a protective bubble everything can harm you was my point :)

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Originally Posted by Raptor

And if there's no animal control/local person to remove the snake?

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In Florida? I would think you would be able to find someone, maybe the authourities.

you know what mayb ill kill the next stray dog bc it may have rabies and may be harmful to my family. Im sure that would go over well...snakes have the same rights that stray dog does. They dont need to be killed unless there is a reason. And not just a hot or large snake found near a house. I.E rabies or a sick snake or a snake that is suffering

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Originally Posted by BallsUnlimited

you know what mayb ill kill the next stray dog bc it may have rabies and may be harmful to my family. Im sure that would go over well...snakes have the same rights that stray dog does. They dont need to be killed unless there is a reason. And not just a hot or large snake found near a house. I.E rabies or a sick snake or a snake that is suffering

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Theres a difference between a wild snake and a stray dog. Wild dog you say? What do you think they do with wild dogs / animals that have rabies? Cure them and send them back to the wild? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by flynn

Theres a difference between a wild snake and a stray dog. Wild dog you say? What do you think they do with wild dogs / animals that have rabies? Cure them and send them back to the wild? :rolleyes:

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no thats why if you read what i wrote you would see only the dogs\reptiles that are sick should be put down. Next time read before you comment. Just like they remove and re home dogs they should be doing the same for the snakes. A snake is an animal just like a dog is. And you wont change my mind on that.

lol....

How is comparing an insect to a snake just like comparing a snake to a dog?

Please explain that....

Most insects don't even live to be 2 months old....

Dogs live around 10-15 years and Snakes can live well above 30 years.

I would say chopping a snakes head off for no reason is a pretty serious thing.

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Originally Posted by BallsUnlimited

no thats why if you read what i wrote you would see only the dogs\reptiles that are sick should be put down. Next time read before you comment. Just like they remove and re home dogs they should be doing the same for the snakes. A snake is an animal just like a dog is. And you wont change my mind on that.

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Wouldnt ever try to change anyones mind about anything, Im not a preacher here....

So a dog that 'has a stomach bug' instead of rabies should be put down? A sick dog is not necessarily a threat. An animal with rabies can be. So can a hot herp.

If this guy had decapitated a corn snake or a milk snake or something, I can understand the problem here. He found this animal to be a threat, so he did what he thought was right. This kind of thing happens all the time, the fact that it was published as news is really what suprises me.


*Edit - just re read first post

I dont think the 'stalking' part happens all the time...that sounds kind of weird to me lollol.